Naval War College

Navy Information Dominance, the Battle of Midway, and the Joint Force Commander: It Worked Then, It Needs to Work Now Naval War College

Publisher Marketing: The changing character of warfighting from the traditional domains of air, sea, land, and to an extent space, to the Information Domain and Cyberspace, is putting increased emphasis on the need for the Joint Force Commander to employ his force to achieve Information Dominance. The information domain in warfighting is becoming increasingly relevant as nations develop capabilities to defend and operate offensively in cyberspace. The goal of Navy Information Dominance is to assist in achieving decision superiority, Assured Command and Control, Battlespace Awareness, and Integrated Fires. Navy Information Dominance aims to use information in cyberspace as a way and means in warfare; as a battery in the Joint Forcer Commander's arsenal. The principle of Navy Information Dominance and its fundamental capabilities were at play in the Battle of Midway in June 1942 proving their relevance in achieving decision superiority against an adversary. While the other services that comprise the Joint Force have Information Dominance missions, they lack a comprehensive approach to achieving Information Dominance. This paper argues the Joint Force Commander must adopt the U. S. Navy model to achieve Information Dominance to be successful in future conflicts.